Governor McMaster attends Fairfax groundbreaking, Hampton Lumber to add jobs
Governor Henry McMaster joined local leaders in Fairfax Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at 150 Walker Road for a new Hampton Lumber sawmill, a project that company officials say will bring 125 to 140 jobs to Allendale County. The facility will produce Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber, a move aimed at meeting housing material demand while creating local economic activity and supply chain work.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster attended a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in Fairfax for a new state of the art sawmill that Hampton Lumber announced in June. The event at 150 Walker Road marked the start of a multi year development that company officials expect will be the firm’s first new sawmill on the East Coast and a significant local employer.
Hampton Lumber has said the facility will provide between 125 and 140 new jobs once fully operational, and will specialize in producing high quality Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber. The company framed the project as part of a broader strategy, saying, “This facility will expand Hampton’s presence in the U.S. and support the company’s long term vision to become North America’s preferred source of wood solutions,” in a news release accompanying the announcement.
Randy Schillinger, Hampton Lumber CEO, emphasized the project's ripple effects through the local economy, noting the many businesses and workers tied to timber production and processing. “It’s about community. This thing has a reach in a community like this from the timberland to forest owners, loggers, truckers, all the community involved with the businesses, supplies,” he said.
Construction is expected to begin later this year with operations slated to begin in early 2027. For Allendale County, where large industrial projects are relatively rare, a new mill of this scale represents a concentrated source of payroll, contractor work and ongoing demand for forestry services. Direct hires at the mill will be complemented by secondary employment for truck drivers, equipment suppliers and local service businesses that support workers on site.
From a market perspective, adding a facility focused on Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber addresses a regional supply need tied to housing construction. Lumber mills compress long supply chains into local employment and spending while also exposing communities to the cyclical nature of building demand and commodity prices. For residents and local officials, the immediate benefits will be new jobs and construction activity while longer term outcomes will depend on sustained housing demand and the company’s integration with local timberland suppliers.
The project also invites questions for local policymakers about workforce development, infrastructure and permitting as the county prepares for construction and later operations. If the mill meets its employment targets and secures steady timber supplies, it could become a lasting economic anchor in Allendale County, linking private investment to a wider set of small businesses and service providers across the region.
